Ahimsa is a term meaning "do no harm". The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims - to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. In general, I consider myself a pretty non-violent person. I am caring and am continuously trying to understand other people. Still, I often cause harm through ignorance and misunderstanding. It is easy for many of us to forget about the importance of being more than "good" - the importance of being intelligently good.
At the beginning of this week, I carried out a violent action. In the effort of challenging myself, I went too far and strained my upper hamstrings. As yoga practitioners, we have all been there. There are times when we ignore the limitations of our bodies and push for what we want - flexibility and a more beautiful asana practice. When we do this, we are in truth, acting violently. As teachers, it is imperative to learn how to use ahimsa in relation to our bod…
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